An Improved Solid-phase Extraction Product for the Banned Antibiotic Chloramphenicol

MIP Technologies AB announced today the launch of MIP4SPE Chloramphenicol, a specialist product for the Analytical Separations market. This product is a solid-phase extraction (SPE) sorbent specific for Chloramphenicol, a broad spectrum antibiotic frequently employed in animal and fish production in certain parts of the world because of its excellent antibacterial and pharmacokinetic properties. Due to the suspicion that Chloramphenicol is carcinogenic and that it can cause aplastic anaemia in humans it was totally banned in the EU in 1994.

Today, a zero tolerance level for food exists since maximum tolerance levels cannot be established for compounds with this level of toxicity. By using the MIP[4]SPE phase, residues of Chloramphenicol can be extracted efficiently and rapidly, improving considerably on existing extraction methods. Furthermore, detection limits well below the minimum required performance limit (MRPL) for Chloramphenicol are achieved, enhancing the reliability of the detection and ensuring improved food safety and quality.

One of the first companies to test MIP[4]SPE is the Nestlé Research Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland. "We are excited to test this new product for selective extraction of Chloramphenicol from food matrices, and we hope that using a MIP in combination with MS detection will lead to accelerate the turn-around-time for analysis and to lower detection limits compared with other methods", said Dr. Philippe Guy from the Nestlé Research Centre.